I don’t know about you but I am getting sick of hearing about the diet pills, new fad fitness promises and exercise moves that promise a younger-looking, healthier body.   There is no diet or exercise “program” on the market today that will work for everyone, but I know we have all looked for the “magic bullet” that will do the trick for us.   Maybe something seemed to work for you and the pounds came off, but didn’t they start creeping back on as soon as you didn’t follow “the plan” anymore?

What kind of life is it if we must follow and exercise or diet plan for the rest of our lives just to keep the pounds off and look 10 years younger.  Being addicted to the bathroom scale is just as bad as being addicted to caffeine or alcohol.   I have not been on a scale in a year and I just as soon never get on one again. At my age, I now judge how fit I am by how I feel.  It gives me the freedom to live the way I want.  I think deep down inside we all know how we feel (or should feel) when we are as healthy or as fit as we want to be.

Successful Aging Physically and Emotionally

I can tell when I am on the right road to living healthy and fit:

1. I feel energized, relaxed and sexy.
2. I am told I look like I lost weight (even though I haven’t)
3. I find myself smiling.
4. The heat doesn’t bother me and neither does the cold.
5. My mind is alert, my thinking is positive -no stinkin thinkin
6. I am feeling grateful for the day and don’t take the gift lightly
7. I have the energy to live my values and not anyone elses.
8. My children look up to me and not down at me.
9. My blood pressure is in check
10. No heartburn, acid reflux or bloated belly

Manage Your Weight – Don’t Try to Control It

Notice I do not include on this list anything about weight loss.  We all like control, but some things in life just can’t be controlled.  If you can’t control what happens in life what makes you think you can control your weight?  Trying to control your weight on a daily basis is a set up for failure.

What you can do is manage your weight.  Sticking to your core values and and building your own personal fitness program based on those values is the secret of successful aging both physically and emotionally.  Jon Benson shows how to do this in his “Fit Over 40” book which I read several years ago.

I have recently read it again and have been reminded of his simple idea of a total transformation to a fit lifestyle based on a person’s own uniqueness. I have begun again to put into practice his timeless information and yesterday was told I looked good and asked if I have lost weight.  Now that really got me energized, relaxed and feeling sexy.   What is healthier than that?

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There is clear indication that exercising our minds are one of the keys for successful aging.  I was reading about a New Age of Centenarians on postitscience.com where the author discusses she just found out more than half the babies born in developed countries today will live to be over 100 years old.

I agree with the author that we must do all we can to live a vibrant life, however I don’t agree that living longer gives us an extra stage to now include four stages: childhood, adulthood, old age, and now really old age.  I prefer to explain the additional years as a second middle age of adult life. (Read my post here).

In addition to exercising our bodies, we must exercise our brains to accommodate the increase in years.  To keep your brain functioning well there are a few brain exercise activities you can do in everyday living situations that will help keep it nimble and functioning at it peak.

1.  Try memory expanding exercises: take a walk and when you come home, retrace your steps in your mind or go to an art gallery and try to remember as many painting you saw as possible.

2.. Try concentrating more:  Turn the TV or radio down and really listen to hear what is being said.  Careful listen helps expand memory capabilities.

3.  Try making your brain make make changes: Use a different hand for doing the simple things you do each day such as brushing your teeth.

You can start we these exercises and then try one more: see how many other exercises you can come up with that will stretch your brain and make it grow.  Have fun and make a game of it.

These exercises will expand your brain’s capabilities and keep you acting you acting younger.  As we age this is vital for us as individuals both emotionally and physically.

Related articles on the aging brain

• Harnessing Your Brain Power (blogs.hbr.org)
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• Can’t our brains just all get along (RexBlog.com)

We’ve all come across the occasional e-book for sale offering to teach us everything we need to know to retire like Kings in some tropical oasis overseas for pennies on the dollar.  Although I always find these promises very tempting, I can usually restrain myself from shelling out my cold hard cash for them for a couple of reasons.

I guess common sense dictates that any place that offers such a low cost of living has to be in an area so remote that getting there and coming home for vacation would be an expensive nightmare.  Furthermore, remote countries with a low GDP tend to have high levels of crime, less access to what we would consider basic amenities (indoor plumbing, cable television etc) and fewer English speakers, which makes learning the local language a time-consuming priority.

Although there are pros and cons to wherever you spend your retirement, millions of Americans do choose to pack up their bags every year and venture overseas with their retirement funds, so there must be something to the promises.  One of the newest hotspots for retirement is the small South American country of Ecuador.

There are a number of reasons to consider Ecuador as a potential destination where to retire.

The cost of living there is significantly lower than in the US, yet the larger cities like Quito, Guayaquil and Cuenca offer all of the modern conveniences that Americans are used to (hot water, internet connections, cable etc.) but at a fraction of the cost.  In fact, one can retire in Ecuador comfortably, and the key word here is comfortably, for less than a thousand dollars a month.  A cost which includes rent, transportation, maid services, eating out and diversion, gym and spa memberships, language classes and all of your day to day needs.

Unlike other South American countries, Ecuador enjoys a relatively low crime rate which is one of the reasons that people have decided that is where to retire in the last decade or so.

The high tourist and expatriate population also means that you can easily find other people who speak your language as well as imports of many of your favorite American or foreign products (In Quito, the damas Norteamericans y Britanicas is an organization made out of British and American Expat Women who do social and volunteer work, and run an English library that rivals in size many in the US).

Also, as of the year 2000, Ecuador has used the US dollar as its official currency so constantly converting exchange rates in your head is another hassle you don’t need to deal with.

There is really something for everyone in Ecuador.  The beaches offer a relaxing escape but for those of us who can’t stand stand excessive heat for too long, but for those who don’t like excessive heat, the Sierra region including Quito and Cuenca offer a more temperate climate, with temperatures averaging around 70 degrees year round.

For more information on living in Ecuador visit:  Flavors of Ecuador

Related articles on Ecuador as a potential destination for retirement

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Second Middle Age and Baby Boomers

If you are like most of us, you probably believe that the improvements in aging and longer lifetimes means that you will be old for a longer time. This comes from the long-standing assumption that “old age” officially begins at the fixed chronological age of sixty-five. So adding more years would mean more years of “old age” to your life.

If you think in terms of old age with adjectives like decrepit, feeble, broken down and weak -what a bummer!  I have good news for you because, this really has not been the case.

Lifetimes have grown longer, but physical aging has gradually and rather mysteriously slowed down. If you don’t believe me take a look at these pictures of two well known ladies approximately the same age but taken in different decades…..

Image via Wikipedia

People are not only living longer, they are entering physiological old age later in life. In fact, there has been a postponement of the physical aging process, and most baby boomers are feeling its impact to some degree.

There is a surprising affect of the postponment of old age. The additional twenty or thirty years of existence gained have been added to the middle of life-the prime of adulthood – as well as to its conclusion. Like a stretched rubberband, the entire length from the life course has stretched evenly, not just on one end. The result isn’t just the addition of time towards the conclusion of our lives, but transformation of the entire lifeline, especially of adulthood.

The time period of what was formally the end of middle age (about age 50) and what is now the beginning of true, physical old age (at some point over 75) forms a new second middle age of adult life – one that never existed before for most people. Now lifetimes may reach 100 years and include this second middle age or second act living as I like to call it.

This is great news for baby boomers who think they cannot start a second career or path in life at 50 years of age. Go for it, you have at least 25 extra good years to find what you want to do when you grow up.

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Breast Cancer affects one in eight women during their lives. Breast cancer kills more women in the United States than any cancer except lung cancer.

It is one of those diseases which everyone knows someone who has, had, or is suffering from it.  Each and every person diagnosed or affected by someone who has been diagnosed with breast cancer has their own story to tell.

Since awareness is key for treatment and living with the diagnosis, I think it’s marvelous to see pink ribbons prominently displayed.  But there are other ways to spread awareness of this disease and help families cope when they receive the diagnosis.

Mike Moroz has written a screenplay about his wife’s friend who was misdiagnosed because she’s. “too young to get breast cancer.” She was originally diagnosed with a “water cyst” and was not properly diagnosed until she became pregnant.

Mike Moroz and Terry Marshall, the producers of the project, are hoping to share how the family and friends are affected with breast cancer.  Having the disease is tough enough, but a misdiagnosis –many times treatment and care is focused on the person with the disease and we tend to forget how this can affect the whole family unit.  Their goal with this movie, is to encourage people to celebrate each day as though it is your last so that when it’s your time to go, you leave nothing left undone.

Usually, treatment can be more successful when it includes taking care of, involving and listening to the needs of the whole family unit. I know this firsthand.  When my husband suffered a debilitating brain injury, I had no idea what to do.  I felt I had no right to ask for anything because he was the one sick and not me.   I had a seven week old baby, felt all alone and I certainly was not celebrating life

Face the Sun is an independent feature film by Sunflower Pictures that takes a personal look at the impact of breast cancer on the lives of a young family.  I believe it is a very important film which can help so many.  However, additional support is needed in many different ways to bring this project to full fruition.   I encourage you to go onto the web site and read about the plans and how you can help so this important project can be completed soon.

Anyway you can help is appreciate.  Go to Face The Sun Movie

I just love how people are finding ways to get the word out!

Pink Glove Dance

Our employees put together this video to generate breast cancer awareness throughout our hospital system. We had a ton of fun putting this …

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I just love the Olympics. For me the Olympics are not so much for the sports as they are for the emotional sensations they bring out in me.

When I saw Lindsey Vonn, gold medal alpine skiier, down on her back, legs swinging through the air, crying , I have worked so hard for this..” I can almost relate to it.

I say almost, because I still have not reached my pinnacle of success like she has. I just imagine I will have her spirit when I do. My daughter, on the other hand, thinks she she was being very dramatic.

Why was Michael Phelps at the winter Olympics and why was he interviewed? I guess I couldn’t help but watch to find out. When asked what he liked best about the Winter Olympics, Phelps’ answer brought it all into perceptive. “It pumps me up. I am ready to start practicing for the next Summer Olympics”. I know what he means -I am ready to start that project I have been putting off.   I can do anything, I am an Olympian.

Every time the Star Spangled Banner is played with the latest gold medal winner standing at the podium I get a sense of pride and I have no idea why. I don’t care I will not question it makes me feel powerful. I can do anything. I am an Olympian champion.

Click Here to enjoy the same spirit!

Congratulations to all the athletes who are working their tails offs to perform their best , sometimes through hardships, grief or pain.  The rest of us can learn so much from you.

Appollo Ohno tweeted:

I am focused, determined, driven. I am blessed to be alive, healthy with an incredible opportunity to be my best. I CAN! RT @ApolloOhno

Lindsey Vonn on facebook after winning the Gold Medal

This is the BEST day of my LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks to everyone who helped and supported me along the way!!!!!! YEAY!!!!!!!!

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I truly believe the most carefree time in my life was when I was in college.  I had a ball. It was less about the studies and more about finding myself and expanding my life in areas I never knew was possible.  I went to college in the seventies and the friends I met there, I still consider my greatest friends, even if we haven’t seen each other for years.  We learned together and had spirited discussions for hours about politics, religion and everything in between.

We did study but we also played.  I remember one night, after a full day of studying for a chemistry exam, my roommate said, “Let’s play volleyball.”  I thought “Why not.”  Earlier that week a volleyball had been placed in the middle of the quad for anyone to use.  Well, we got out there to play and, little by little, more and more students showed up and started playing with us.  We went well into the night and, because of that game, I met a wonderful guy.  You just never know what life has in store when you start playing and having fun.

Retirement should be that carefree life.  You can rediscover your past. What better place to retire to than a college town where;

you can be assured of many cultural activities;  participate in inter-generational discussions;  enjoy unlimited sports entertainment;  mingle in well stocked libraries and bookstores;  eat in varieties of restaurants;  and feel secure with state of the art medical facilities?

The time is right to explore this opportunity.
Colleges are reaching to attract retirees and lifelong learning enthusiasts by creating all sorts of different learning opportunities; offering reduces or free tuition and auditing of classes;alumni activities; and some even provide continuing care retirement communities.

Kiplinger lists their top ten college towns for grownups.

In the southeast…

• Chapel Hill, North Carolina;  Home of: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

• Tallahassee, Florida;  Home of: Florida A&M University and Florida State University

• Athens, Georgia;  Home of: University of Georgia

• Hattiesburg, Mississippi; Home of: University of Southern Mississippi

• Fayetteville, Arkansas;  Home of: University of Arkansas

• Columbia, Missouri;  Home of: University of Missouri

In the northwest…

• Eugene, Oregon;  Home of: University of Oregon

• Corvallis, Oregon;  Home of: Oregon State University

• Fort Collins, Colorado;  Home of: Colorado State University

In the southwest…

• Flagstaff, Arizona;  Home of: Northern Arizona University

They do not include any towns in the northeast which I am not sure why.  I would include Ithaca and Princeton in this list since I have lived near both areas and know they provide many benefits for those retired and living nearby.

• Ithaca New York;  Home of Cornell University

• Princeton, New Jersey;  Home of Princeton University

Trade palm trees for people and activities and you will have a much more fulfilling retirement.

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I was watching the figure skating and snow boarding on last night’s Olympics program. Since Canada is hosting, NBC has been adding tributes to Canada by sharing some of the the country’s positive attributes. What I saw was a feature story on Churchill, Manitoba , “The Polar Bear Capitol of the World”.

I was intrigued. I am very much a warm weather person and could never see myself wanting to visit a place that never gets very warm. But I found myself thinking it would make a great trip for a few days, even in the winter.

Churchill Manatoba is located on the Hudson Bay and is known for its ecotourism. Beluga whales can be seem the warm bay waters in July and August getting ready to calf. The Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) can be seen throughout the winter months. If you have ever seen the Northern Lights you know, they alone, are worth the trip. But the real prize are the polar bears seen near town as they migrate in October and November.

Picture courtesy of:
Native Americans –First People is a child friendly site about Native Americans and members of the First Nations. 1400+ legends, 400+ agreements and treaties, 10,000+ pictures, free clipart, Pueblo pottery, American Indian jewelry, Native American Flutes and more.

Polar Bears in Churchill – Manitoba, Canada

Experience the Canadian wildlife in the outskirts of Churchill, Manitoba with Frontiers North Adventures. Their Tundra Buggy tours allow visitors …

A Tourist Guide to Churchill – Polar Bear Capital of the World

By Robert Waldvogel, Ezine Article Expert

Churchill, Manitoba, located 970 kilometers north of Winnipeg on the sub-arctic tundra, bills itself both as “the polar bear” and “beluga whale” capital of the world.

The province’s northern region, location of its initial inhabitants, had provided land for indigenous nomadic tribes who had hunted, fished seals and whales, and tracked the caribou herd migrations for thousands of years, using the interconnected waterways as their transportation means. Although the Europeans, such as Sir Thomas Button, had sailed to the mouth of the Churchill River as early as 1613 in search of the elusive Northwest Passage to China, it had been the secondary discovery, of fur-abundant animals, which had caused them to stay to satisfy the demand created by the cold-soaked European continent. In 1670, the Company of Adventures Trading into Hudson’s Bay had therefore been formed, the first such collaborative venture with the existing Aboriginals who, intimately familiar with their territory, had provided orientation and guidance, along with labor and sustenance. Animals were trapped and hided and their furs were transported over the rivers of the north by canoes and York boats to Hudson Bay, an extension of the Arctic Ocean, for transfer to trans-Atlantic, Europe-bound ships. Supplies, conversely, had been offloaded from arriving ships and were transported inland to the Hudson’s Bay Company’s (HBC) increasing number of outposts.

In 1912, the northern region became the last edition to the province of Manitoba.

Ore deposits, located below the forests, replaced fur trading as the modern-day resource, resulting in a multitude of mining camps, outgrowths of which were towns with swelling populations, while hydro-electric dams harnessed power in the region’s rivers.

Churchill itself, located just below the province line between Nunavut and Manitoba at the confluence of the Churchill River and Hudson Bay and boasting a population of little more than 1,000, only encompassed a few blocks, but attracted an increasing number of visitors in search of eco-tourism. The area itself had been inhabited for some 3,500 years, but the first permanent structure had been the Prince of Wales Fort constructed in 1732 across the river. In 1769, Britain’s Royal Society had observed the Venetian eclipse of the sun there, but it had not been until 1929, with completion of the Hudson Bay Railway, that the town site had been relocated to the current side and, in conjunction with the railroad, developed into a grain port. During World War II, the United States built a Strategic Air Command (SAC) base there and during the Cold War with the Soviet Union the Churchill Research Range, now the Churchill Northern Studies Centre, had been erected. The modern, 22,300-square-meter Churchill Town Centre Complex, the town’s latest construction project, contained an indoor playground, a daycare facility, a curling rink, an arena, a bowling alley, a gymnasium, a swimming pool, a library, a pizza parlor, a 300-seat theater, and a school for grades kindergarten to 12, and overlooked the too-cold-for-use beach on Hudson Bay.

Travel to Churchill can be circuitous at best. There are no roads in or out. Star Alliance partner Air Canada offers- multiple non-stop flights from Toronto and Montreal to Winnipeg, from where VIA Rail Canada offers thrice-weekly rail service on its appropriately-named Hudson Bay, which takes some 36 hours to cover the 1,700 ground kilometers, traversing three distinct topographical zones: farmland, boreal forest, and the austerely beautiful tundra. In order to reduce costs, many drive to Thompson, where the paved road terminates, or Gillam, where the dirt road ends, and transfer to the train. Calm Air offers twice-daily turboprop Saab 340 service from Winnipeg, which reduces to once per day on weekends.

Of the half-dozen or so motels, inclusive of the Seaport Hotel, the Churchill Motel, the Aurora Inn, the Iceberg Inn, the Tundra Inn, and the Lazy Bear Lodge, all average about 25 rooms and vary in rating by a half to a full star, but the latter, hand-crafted from fire-killed logs in the fur trade era style, is the largest log building in all of Manitoba. Although all fare is available, indigenous northern cuisine, such as arctic char, muskox, and caribou steak, can be ordered in most of the restaurants belonging to the motels.

Sights depend upon season: aurora borealis (northern lights) from January to March, seals from April to August, bird watching from May to June, wild flowers from June to August,, beluga whale watching from July to August, and polar bears from October to November.

On my first day in Churchill, I elected to take a half-day tundra buggy adventure. Following the main, paved road from town, the van crossed over its dirt extension, driving past the former Strategic Air Command Base and the current Churchill Northern Studies Centre, and arrived at the Tundra Buggy Depot, comprised of two rows of five vehicles backed into an elevated wooden boarding platform. The buggy itself, converted in Churchill, had featured a truck-cannibalized aluminum chassis, four massive, tubeless tires, and a diesel 466 engine, and contained school bus-like padded, bench seats, a furnace and a toilet in the rear, and an outdoor observation platform for wildlife viewing.

Negotiating gravel, dirt, rock, mud, muskeg, and stream, and traversing barren, treeless tundra, tundra buggy 11 lurched past the military observation tower and purple, fireweed wild flowers and green, velvet-like moss to the banks of Hudson Bay, encountering tundra swans, woodland caribou, and snow geese along the way to a polar bear siting. Drinks and snacks had been served while a lone bear, fasting on the tundra until autumn’s temperatures would once again permit the formation of ice sheets and the continuation of his daily seal hunt, moved round the pond and investigated the very high tundra buggy, animatedly maneuvering on both two and four paws, sniffing, looking, and cautiously approaching until he had come within only feet of the observation platform.

Polar bear life cycles revolve round seasonality. The 1,300 polar bears on Hudson Bay, the world’s largest land carnivores and the only “marine” bears, spend most of their time stalking seals from frozen seas, seeking breathing holes or hunting from the edges of ice sheets. When the ice breaks up in spring, they are forced on to land, where they fast for several months. Adult males, varying in length from 240 to 260 cm, can weigh between 400 and 600 kg, while females, at half these lengths, weigh between 150 and 250 kg.

A morning excursion to the Prince of Wales Fort and the whale-watching area of the Churchill River had been planned for the second day. The fort itself, accessed by a zodiac crossing of the river, is a National Historic Site of Canada and had been built by the British at the mouth of the Churchill River, at Eskimo Point, during the 40-year period between 1732 and 1772 for three primary reasons:

1. To establish a trade center with the Aboriginals-namely, the Cree, the Dene, and the Inuit.

2. To create a war-time refuge for Hudson’s Bay Company’s ships.

3. To construct a base from which northern exploration could be conducted.

The star-shaped fort, featuring 12-meter-thick walls and an upper bastion supporting 40 surrounding cannons, had featured, upon entrance, the men’s dual-level quarters on the left and the shops and services, including the carpenter, the tailor, the blacksmith, and the bakery, on the right.

In 1782, when the French Navy had sailed into Hudson Bay, the Prince of Wales Fort, which would have proved a paltry match to its opponent with a small, beleaguered crew and insufficient ammunition, had been surrendered to French Admiral Jean-Francois Galaup, although a treaty later returned it to British control.

The morning’s excursion, continuing by zodiac across the Churchill River, approached a 3- to 5-meter deep area at a slow pace, moving within the circle of beluga whales, which periodically arced skyward, sometimes four abreast, in order to inhale air. So high had two surfaced that they dove nose-first back toward the water, their fins momentarily poised vertically until they had disappeared. Babies, identifiable by their white skins, swam with their mothers, which sported darker gray coverings. The warmer waters of the Churchill River, now no longer ice bound, had been the source of abundant sea life, and the whales, targeting prey, surrounded it, tightening their circumference until they had moved in for their attacks.

Beluga whales, whose brains are larger than those of humans with greater surface areas, think with their upper, oily lobe and use sound as their principle sense, which enters through their jaws. Because water provides a more effective medium than air, sound waves travel five times faster. Beluga whales are among the few types which can move their necks. Typical food pursuit entails holding the breath, using depth perception to dive as low as 1,000 meters, and attacking the fish before returning to the surface.

The afternoon had been spent poking into Churchill’s Visitor Center, museums, gift shops, and restaurants, and by the following morning, separated from the previous day’s dusk by only four hours of darkness, it had already been time for the all-too-soon return journey to Winnipeg. Conducted by air, had been completed in under two-and-a-half hours by turboprop aircraft.

Winnipeg, hardly comparable to my native Manhattan, had nevertheless been a skyscraper metropolis with a growing population and traffic congestion, but my thoughts quickly returned to the clear, crisp air of Churchill; the tiny town; the warm people who seemed to know everyone living there; its surrounding barren, but somehow beautiful sub-arctic tundra; and its abundant wildlife, which lived in harmony with nature’s laws, not man’s. I had somehow already missed it.

I may go back there some day…

A graduate of Long Island University-C.W. Post Campus with a summa-cum-laude BA Degree in Comparative Languages and Journalism, I have subsequently earned the Continuing Community Education Teaching Certificate from the Nassau Association for Continuing Community Education (NACCE) at Molloy College, the Travel Career Development Certificate from the Institute of Certified Travel Agents (ICTA) at LIU, and the AAS Degree in Aerospace Technology at the State University of New York – College of Technology at Farmingdale. Having amassed almost three decades in the airline industry, I managed the New York-JFK and Washington-Dulles stations at Austrian Airlines, created the North American Station Training Program, served as an Aviation Advisor to Farmingdale State University of New York, and devised and taught the Airline Management Certificate Program at the Long Island Educational Opportunity Center. A freelance author, I have written some 70 books of the short story, novel, nonfiction, essay, poetry, article, log, curriculum, training manual, and textbook genre in English, German, and Spanish, having principally focused on aviation and travel, and I have been published in book, magazine, newsletter, and electronic Web site form. I am a writer for Cole Palen’s Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome in New York. I have made some 350 lifetime trips by air, sea, rail, and road.

Article Source: Ezine Article – A Tourist Guide to Churchill – Polar Bear Capital of the World

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If you were like me and spent Valentine’s Day alone, consider yourself lucky to have spent Valentine’s Day with the most important person in your life – you.  At least that is my story and I’m sticking with it.  What I did with myself last night, I don’t need to tell but…

Here are my 3 reasons for waking up happy I spent Valentine’s Day alone:

I enjoyed myself.  Plus I don’t need to worry whether there will be another date or if anything I said hurt the relationship.

I still respect myself this morning.  Oh yeah, I am empowered.

and the number one reason…

I don’t have to share my Valentine’s Day chocolate.  I am off to the store to buy the kind I want for 50% off the price it was yesterday.

Message to Myself

Dedicated to those beautiful women out there who spent this romantic holiday alone. We can date and love ourselves and have a whole lot of fun. So go romance yourself…

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Bill Clinton is hospitalize for chest pain. This was the news yesterday.

Two days ago I published a post explaining that heart disease is the number one killer of women.  Since the Red Cross dedicates February as heart disease month, I thought it fitting to remind women about the dangers of this silent killer.  And today we received another reminder from Bill Clinton.

In 2006, Clinton had quadruple bypass surgery and in 2005 he had scar tissue removed which was related to the bypass surgery.  Yesterday, he had surgery to insert two stents to restore blood flow, one in the same artery he had unblocked during the original surgery.

A CNN article quoted Dr. Allan Schwartz, New York-Presbyterian Hospital’s Chief of Cardiology “said the need for the procedure had nothing to do with Clinton’s post-bypass diet or exercise, which Schwartz called excellent. Rather, Schwartz said, this is “part of the natural history” of the bypass treatment.”

The article says Bill Clinton has been following the diet prescribed for his condition and exercising as well.  However, what happened yesterday is a natural progression to the bypass surgery he received and he could be in for more problems in the future.  Slowing down probably won’t help, but not to worry -there are medications out there and the prognosis is good.

What?  Since Clinton has left office, he has been running on a busy schedule.  He does need to slow down and take care of himself.  Sure there are pills but they can cause all sort of side affects so prevention and a healthy lifestyle is the key.

Heart disease is a chronic condition and may have no known cure, but there is more that can be done  other than ‘no junk food’ and some exercise.  How about rest and relaxation to reduce stress?  Or eating certain foods such as garlic and fish oil which have been associated with a healthy heart.

Can fish prevent heart disease? BBC science

From the series Can Fish Make My Child Smart, this episode looks at whether fish oils decrease the risk of heart disease. Is there a link? Free …

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• Bill Clinton in ‘good spirits’ after procedure (msnbc.msn.com)

It’s close to Valentine’s Day so it is a good time to remind everyone that not only is heart disease the number one killer of women but that the symptoms can be very different from men.

Post-menopausal women should be especially aware of a condition know as “Broken Heart Syndrome”.  It’s a rare condition and even more rare to die from it.  However it should be a concern since there is still very little known about the condition.  What is known is that 90% of the cases doctors have identified with this condition, have been post-menopausal women.

The condition is caused by stress, usually emotional, but occasionally it has been triggered by physical stress. Experts say the combination of lower levels of estrogen with an unusual response to adrenaline can trigger the syndrome.

Symptoms can mimic a heart attack and can be very severe. However when tests done to confirm a heart attach such as checking for blocked arteries, the result are usually found to be in the normal range.  The difference is that X-rays will show that the left ventricle has taken the shape of a vase-like pot  used in Japan and the reason the Japanese call it Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy.  It is also know as Transient Left Ventricular Ballooning, Cardiac Syndrome X and Ampulla Cardiomyopathy.

Even though there is usually no long term effects of this type of heart episode, it’s important to take care of yourself when experiencing emotional trauma in your life.  Feeling overwhelmed, death and loss are emotional triggers can affect a healthy person in many unhealthy ways.  If you can’t mend that broken heart, at least do what you can to keep it healthy.

Related articles on “Broken Heart Syndrome”

• February is Dedicated to Heart Disease Awareness (eon.businesswire.com)
• Hearts Actually Can Break (science.slashdot.org)
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Finding a second career can happen when you least expect it.

Just fifty years ago, the most important job a woman could do was be a housewife and raise a family.  She took care of the inside of the house while her husband concerned himself with matters outside the house.  When matters “outside the house” meant other women, a wife only had to two choices; divorce or stay.  Divorce meant a stigma and usually a lifetime of hardship. stay meant keeping your mouth shut and trying to win him back by pleasing him as many ways as possible.

How far we have come.

Infidelity is nothing new in the world and, of course, is not limited to one gender.  Lately, several women have been the in news due to writing about their experience as the victim of infidelity.  Are they doing a service to other women or are they using their experience as an opportunity?

“Staying True” by Jennifer Sanford, wife the Governor of South Carolina Mark Sanford discusses her life choices and the drama of political life contributing to infidelity.

“Silent Partner: A Memoir of My Marriage” by Dina Matos McGreevey who recollects about how a woman can be married to a man and not know he is gay.  How she can hold her head up and tell the story is explained in the book.

“Why I Stayed” by Gayle Haggard explains the heart-wrenching decision why a person would stay in a marriage so full of betrayal.  Not a popular decision, the book touches on community of family and is filled with forgiveness.

“Resilience: Reflections on the Burdens and Gifts of Facing Life’s Adversities,” by Elizabeth Edwards. Although her book touches more on the death of her son and her cancer diagnosis, she speaks of resiliency and hope after the affair.

Once women had very little choices when they were faced with infidelity in the marriage.  But “these women have grown up in an entirely different age which gives them more choices about how to deal with an unfaithful husband,” stated CNN senior political correspondent Candy Crowley.  They have choices and have chosen to use their experience for something positive.  Whether the positive is to share a story to help others or purely for personal gain does not really matter -a second career has begun.

No need to spend much money on advertising and promoting your book, the gossip pool does it all for you.

Related articles on Infidelity

• Silent no more, wives go public about their husbands’ affairs (cnn.com)
• Jenny Sanford’s ‘Staying True’: Should She Have Stayed Or Left? (huffingtonpost.com)
• Jenny Sanford tell-all has revealing glimpses (cnn.com)
• Jim McGreevey’s Ex-Wife Dina Matos Could’ve Easily Become a Gay Hero. Then She Came Out Against Marriage (queerty.com)

There has been a lot of rattle over the internet about how hard it is getting a job if you are over 50. I suppose it’s true. Most hiring managers seem like they are twenty years younger. They look at us like we are so out of touch of the real world, don’t know what twitter is and are to old to play on the company softball league.

Well, first of all, I don’t want to play on your softball team because I have better things to do with my spare time. Second, I probablyhttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/06/Facebook.svg/75px-Facebook.svg.png have more friends on twitter than you – as well as facebook for that matter. Third, what exactly is the real word anyway? Burning bras or video games? Who really knows.

In 1973, Ilon Specht created an ad for L’Oreal. She was a typical 23 year old, a baby boomer involved in a new era of change for women in America. Remember it well. We burned our bras -boy do we need them now. We wanted equal pay for the same work. We wanted it all.

Preference by L’Oreal – “Because I’M Worth It”

The saying went viral -We knew it then and we know it now.

I am experienced and therefore more efficient now. I have knowledge from living longer that a younger person cannot possibly know. I have networked with many people from all walks of life and every way possible, and not just through the internet. I don’t just want a job, I want to feel like I am contributing to something greater than myself. That is why I am the best person for the job. Yes, I would require more money, but that’s “because I’m worth it”.

Related articles on networking

• Meeting others via social media and networking at the heart of client development (kevin.lexblog.com)
• How To Use Facebook Ads to Get a Journalism Job (newmediabytes.com)
• How To Advertise a Journalism Job on Facebook (newmediabytes.com)

I was reading Dr. Dorree Lynn’s list of “Healthy Foods to Fire Up Your Sex Life” and the foods she lists are pretty much well known aphrodisiacs.

She lists all the usual ones; grapes, oysters, chocolate (the natural antidepressant) and honey. I have never heard of honey as an aphrodisiac but, I suppose, with its antioxidants, it could boost desire. Definitely worth trying.

I have found that maca is one of the best and oldest known aphrodisiacs in the world. The root of the maca plant has been used as a source of nourishment and healing for hundreds of years in indigenous Andean cultures. Now recently gaining popularity in the western world as the “lost herb” due to its energy boosting properties. Maca does not increase sex hormones, but instead, acts on them and works in tandem with your body’s natural rhythm, intimately enhancing the sex drive.  A great way start on the road to a healthy lifestyle and fight the effects of aging.

I have seen it for sale at better health food stores as a powder. You can add a teaspoon to water and drink it but I suggest adding it to a smoothie or chocolate milk instead. The taste is not that great unless you can get use to it.

This funny little video shows the effects of adding maca into your life. They, of course endorse their own product which I have never use, but I like the video anyway.

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• Warm up the Winter with Aphrodisiacs (friendseat.com)

Quinoa has become a a staple in my kitchen as a healthy alternative to the starchy macaroni and noodle. I had never even heard of it while I was growing up but it has been cultivated in the Andean mountain regions of Peru, Chile and Bolivia for over 5,000 years.

This grain has been hailed as a superfood because of the many healing properties it contains. It has the highest protein content of any grain and is also high in the amino acids which make it a complete protein. What this means is that if you are on a high protein diet this is the perfect food for you.

Quinoa is a very good source of manganese. It is also a good source of calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorus.

It is a great addition to your diet in the quest for successful aging. It contains the amino acid lysine, which helps with tissue growth and repair, the fiber it contains prevents gallstones, and the magnesium relaxes blood vessels preventing migraines, hypertension and heart attacks. It also has been known to help prevent Type II diabetes, has antioxidants,and healthy brain properties. Whew, that is some good stuff.

Quinoa:101

Dani explains the benefits of this nutritious Super Food!!

In the past, you could only find it in health food stores but now I can find it in many supermarkets such as Wegmans in New York and New Jersey. The shape is similar to tapioca pudding and has a nutty flavor and is so versatile I use it in many of my soup and salad recipes instead of macaroni and noodles.

How to Cook Quinoa

I have two favorite ways of preparing Quinoa that can use anything I have in the refrigerator and everyone enjoys them no matter how they turn out.

Soup – Cut and saute a little onion and add some potato. Add a green such as spinach or swiss chard and a ready made chicken broth and and about a half a cup of rinsed quinoa. Cook for about 15 minutes and you have a healthy soup for a winter day.

Salad – Cook a cup of quinoa. Add tomato, lettuce, cucumber, feta cheese, and marinated artichoke hearts. Pour Caesar dressing on it and you have a wonderful salad that contains everything you need for a great satisfying lunch.

Both of these recipes can be altered by adding or substituting any ingredients you like. Experimenting until you find your favorites is the key to mastering the recipes.

Try it you’ll like it.

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• More quinoa: Weight Watchers Quinoa Salad (thismamacooks.com)